Governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Wednesday, inaugurated a 100-man transition and inauguration committee ahead of May 29, 2019.

Ganduje charged the committee to make sure that the machinery of government continues to run seamlessly.‎

He added that the committee was set up to guarantee stability and consolidate on the successes and achievement of the administration. he also urged the committee members to use their wealth of experience to assist in meeting set targets.‎

Abdullahi Abbas, the state chairman of APC, who is also the secretary of the committee, said the May 29 inauguration would be smooth and peaceful.‎

Abbas said the committee members, chosen on merit and from all strata of the society, would submit its reports within the stipulated four weeks.

Usman Alhaji, secretary to the state government, will be charing the committee while Sabo Na -Nono will be assisting as vice chairman.

The Guardian Nigeria reports that the INEC national commissioner in charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, Engr. Abubakar Nahuche urged the political class in the country to always imbibe spirit of sportsmanship and eschew a do or die politics.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) says it witnessed violence against both voters and electoral officers during the supplementary elections.

The Gubernatorial rerun held in Kano, Bauchi and Benue, Plateau and Sokoto states.

According to the EU EOM, police and party leaders refused to prevent attacks on electoral officials by youth gangs armed with clubs and machetes, TheCable reports.

Furthermore, it said due to its observers, for fear of harassment, were unable to continue monitoring polling units in specific Local Government Areas including Dala and Nasarawa local government areas of Kano, adding that “this compromised scrutiny of both polling and collation of results in the affected areas.”

It noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comment on electoral disturbances “throughout the day, despite its overall responsibility for the election and security arrangements”.

“On 23 March, extensive electoral security problems were observed particularly in parts of Kano where polling became inaccessible to EU observers in some areas,” the mission said.

“The environment was intimidating and not conducive to voters’ free participation in the election. Party leadership locally and centrally did not appear to take any steps to rein in supporters and prevent evident violence, intimidation or other misconduct.

“In Nasarawa local government area in Kano, EU observers witnessed organised intimidation of voters. Groups of youth with clubs and machetes patrolled the streets and the people with party agents tags harassed voters.

“During collation in Kano, EU observers saw that several INEC polling staff had been attacked. Large groups of men with weapons were not contained by the police.”

The EU said party agents interfered more in the supplementary elections than on the previous two election days.

It said: “Isolated violent incidents also disrupted voting and counting in other states. In Bauchi, EU witnessed around 50 people with clubs disrupting counting in one polling unit. In Benue, election materials were burnt and a collation officer carrying election result sheets was shot in the leg.

“EU observers in all five states also saw party agents trying to influence voters, assisting voters or voting on their behalf. EU observers also saw vote-buying in Sokoto by both the leading parties, and indications of vote buying in Kano.

“Of the 40 polling units that EU teams could fully observe, agents were present in all and in five cases were seen interfering in the work of polling officials, in Benue, Plateau and Sokoto.”

The EU EOM, however, said INEC improved logistical arrangements in most polling units, saying procedures were mostly followed with smart card readers used to accredit voters in all polling units observed.

It added that Marie Arena, the chief observer, will return in June to present the mission’s final report, which will include recommendations for future electoral processes.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Kano police commissioner, Wakili Muhammad, of helping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rig elections in the state.

The party alleged that the Kano CP deployed police security for Rabiu Kwankwaso loyalists while state commissioner’s orderlies were withdrawn.

The party insisted that Kano state is a stronghold and key support base of the APC, stating that the PDP have no chance in the supplementary election billed for Saturday, March 23.

Part of the statement read: “The opposition PDP camp in its self-deceit has continued to delude itself on its nonexistent electoral chance in Nasarawa local government area. The Kano electorate are not deceived. “Considering what happened in the inconclusive election widely characterized by PDP vote buying and voter intimidation, relevant agencies must ensure that such antidemocratic practice is not repeated. “It is on record how the Kano state police commissioner actively assisted the opposition PDP to rig inside Kano city with the deployment of police security for Rabiu Kwankwaso loyalists while state commissioner’s orderlies were withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the deputy national publicity secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, has said his party rejects in entirety the position taken by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the governorship election in Bauchi state. Nabena made the position known on Sunday, March 17 while speaking to journalists in Abuja, saying the position taken by INEC contravened the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

He also accused the Festus Okoye-led committee of the electoral commission of evil plot against the ruling party. Okoye had led the committee on a fact-finding mission to the state and recommended that the election would be concluded without a re-run.